Fostering Productive Dialogue in Divided Times

From angry town halls with legislators to vitriolic arguments via social media, it is increasingly clear that we live in divided times. Whether these divides are real or perceived, such tensions have the potential to erode our democracy, disrupt our communities, and inhibit public problem-solving at the local, regional, and federal level. Especially on environmental and natural resource issues, this sense of division is often the result of a lack of meaningful dialogue and mutual understanding.

The Dialogue will explore the potential of dialogue to support collaborative problem-solving on a range of public policy issues.

Facilitated small group discussions — Participants will explore what dialogue is and isn’t, have an opportunity to practice engaging in productive dialogue with one another about key public policy issues, and leave the session with concrete ideas for how to advance dialogue and collaborative problem-solving in their work, in our communities, and throughout the State of Utah more broadly.